How many tablespoons are in a cup?

There are 16 tablespoons in 1 cup (US measurement). This is a crucial conversion for scaling recipes up or down. Since 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, there are also 48 teaspoons in a cup. These ratios remain constant regardless of what ingredient you're measuring.

What's the difference between fluid ounces and weight ounces?

Fluid ounces measure volume (space occupied), while weight ounces measure mass. 1 cup of water equals 8 fluid ounces in volume AND weighs approximately 8 ounces. However, 1 cup of flour weighs only about 4.5 ounces despite being 8 fluid ounces in volume, because flour is less dense than water.

How do I convert between US and metric cooking measurements?

Common conversions: 1 cup ≈ 240 ml, 1 tablespoon ≈ 15 ml, 1 teaspoon ≈ 5 ml, 1 fluid ounce ≈ 30 ml. For weight: 1 ounce ≈ 28 grams, 1 pound ≈ 454 grams. These are approximations; exact conversions may differ slightly, but they work well for cooking.

Should I measure flour by volume or weight?

Weight (grams or ounces) is more accurate for flour because the same volume can weigh differently depending on how compacted it is. Professional bakers prefer weight. If measuring by volume, spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off—don't scoop directly or tap the cup, as this compacts the flour.

How do I halve or double a recipe with unusual measurements?

Use this converter to change measurements to smaller units first. For example, to halve 3 tablespoons, convert to teaspoons (9 teaspoons), halve it (4.5 teaspoons), then convert back (1.5 tablespoons). This prevents errors with mixed unit measurements.